Fruit-drier



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(No Model.)

A. H. BLACKBURN.

FRUIT DRIBR.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. H. BLACKBURN.- FRUIT 111111111.

110.597,25?. 192116111611 Jan. 11,1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

ALLEN H. BLACKBURN, OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-DRIVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,257, dated January 1 l, 1898.

Application filed January 3,1896. Serial No. 574,215. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALLEN H. BLACKBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petaluma, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Driers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to driers for evaporating fruit; and the objects of my invention are, iirst, to provide asimple, cheap, and convenient way of moving the fruit-trays in the drying-chamber, and, further, to obtain abetter and :more direct application of heat to such trays. I accomplish these objects by devices represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my drier broken away in places to show the interior. Fig. 2 is a section on line a; @cof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of one corner of theA sec tional view Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one of the supports for the trays.

l A represents the drying house, structure, or chamber, having double `walls at both sides and the rear, Fig. 2. The drying-chamber is elevated slightly above the ground to allow the air to enter at the bottom, or, if built close to the ground., is provided with openings for that purpose. Within the chamber is set a heater B, preferably a rectangular stove, extending back in the chamber. Secured to the inner walls of the drier or to the corner-posts 1 is a sheet-metal plate 2, which is bent upward, (dotted lines, Fig. 1,) so as to surround the heater on three sides and project somewhat above it. This upwardly-turned plate forms three walls of a hot-air chamber 3, the fourth wall being the front of the drier, and the air which enters the drier at the bottom is caused to pass into this chamber, where it is heated by radiation from the stove. This heated air rises above the chamber or space 3, direct-ly below the fruit-trays. The escapepipe 4. of theheater is bent into a coil 5 in the space below the trays and gives a large amount of heating-surface for the air in the interior ofthe drier. The pipe 4 is led through both walls at the rear, as shown, while the hot air rises and finally escapes through the conical roof C and stack D.

The drying-trays E are supported by corner-posts F of peculiar construction. Each post (which may be a square timber of proper length and thickness) is steppedn in a socket in a beam 6, which forms part of the stucture and has at the top a bearing in another beam 7. To the square sides of the post are secured a series of lugs or projections S, preferably strips of thin metal having angular upper edges. Each lug is thus provided with a' iiat projection 9, upon which the tray is first set, and with an incline 10, upon which such trays travel downwardly. They are arranged is succession upon the four sides of the post, each succeeding one being set below i-ts predecessor. Fig. 5 illustrates this construction very clearly. Each post is provided at its upper end with a pinion 11, which is in engagement with a large gear G, mounted in a frame I-I of timbers, and which is simply a transmitting-gear for all the pinions 1l. The gear G is driven by a pinion 12 upon a vertical shaft 13 outside the drier and connected to any suitable power, or, as shown inthe drawings, it may be turned by a crank 14 through beveled gears 15 16. By these means the four posts are turned simultaneously, and

hence all the trays E resting upon the lugs 8 are moved steadily and uniformly downward, resting in turn upon the successive projections, but retaining their proper horizontal position. The arrangement of the lugsis seen to be such as will preserve a heatingspace between the trays, so that each will receive its proportion of heat above and below.

The front of the drier is provided with doors J, so that access can be had to any part of the interior at any time. I prefer to load the trays atL the top, move them downward in an increasing heat, and remove them at the bottom.

vThe posts which support the trays are conveniently placed between the double walls, so that they will take up no space in the drying-chamber proper. Figs. 2 and i illustrate this feature. Pockets 17 are formed by vertical boards or scantling 18, and the inner walls adjacent to the pockets are left open to permit the lugs 8 to project a little into the interior. The pocket or vertical space thus formed is closed at intervals by plates 19, which surround the posts, and thus break up IOO any air-currents which might otherwise be produced in these pockets. The air, rising under the closely-packed fruit-trays and being.

unable to escape freely up through them, Would have a tendency to rush into the pockets, Which Would then become flues. By means of these plates I produce such interruptions in the pocket that no constant aircurrent can be formed, and the plates act as deflectors to compel the hot air to enter the interior of the drier among the fruit-trays.

I am aware that fruit-trays have been supported in drying-chambers by means of lugs resting upon the continuous threads of upright screws placed in the corners of the drying-chamber. Such screws being of large size are exceedingly expensive, besides being clumsy and requiring lubrication to make them effective. I accomplish the same result in a cheap and practical Way byvusing common Wooden posts, to Which my peculiarly-arranged lugs of cheap material, such as sheet-iron, are separately attached.

1. In a drier, a post for supporting and moving fruit-trays consisting. of an upright having secured to it a series of separate projections arranged spirally and having inclined upper edges, said post being journaled so as to be rotatable, substantially as described.

2. In a drier,a post for supporting and moving fruit-trays, consisting of an upright of polygonal cross-section having secured at its angles Aprojections arranged spirally around it and having inclined upper edges, said post being journaled so as to be rotatable, substantially as described.

3. In combination With a drying chamber or stack, rotary posts journaled in said stack and geared together so as to be simultaneously rotatable, each post having secured to it a series of projections arranged spirally around it, and each projection having its upper edge of obtuse angular shape to form a horizontal surface and an inclined surface, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fruit-drier and in combination with the double-Walled drying-chamber, posts for supporting fruit-trays set Within open pockets formed between the Walls, and horizontal plates set at intervals Within said pockets, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 24th day of December, 1895.

ALLEN I-I. BLACKBURN.

Witnesses:

H. P. BRAINERD, L. A. WICK. 

